University of Reading

University College, Reading

The university owes its first origins to the Schools of Art and Science established in Reading in 1860 and 1870. In 1892 the College at Reading was founded as an extension college by Christ Church, a college of the University of Oxford. The first President was the geographer Sir Halford John Mackinder. The Schools of Art and Science were transferred to the new college by Reading Town Council in the same year.

The new college received its first treasury grant in 1901. Three years later it was given a site, now the university's London Road Campus, by the Palmer family of Huntley & Palmers fame. The same family supported the opening of Wantage Hall in 1908, and of the Research Institute in Dairying in 1912.

University status

The college first applied for a Royal Charter in 1920 but was unsuccessful at that time. However a second petition, in 1925, was successful, and the charter was officially granted on 17 March 1926. With the charter, the college became the University of Reading, the only new university to be created in the United Kingdom between the two world wars.

In 1947 the university purchased Whiteknights Park, which was to become its principal campus. In 1984 the University started a merger with Bulmershe College of Higher Education, which was completed in 1989.

2006 - present

In October 2006, the Senior Management Board proposed the closure of its Physics Department to future undergraduate application. This was ascribed to financial reasons and lack of alternative ideas and caused considerable controversy, not least a debate in Parliament over the closure which prompted heated discussion of higher education issues in general. On 10 October the Senate voted to close the Department of Physics, a move confirmed by the Council on 20 November. Other departments closed in recent years include Music, Sociology, Geology, and Mechanical Engineering. The university council decided in March 2009 to close the School of Health and Social Care, a school whose courses have consistently been oversubscribed.

In January 2008, the university announced its merger with the Henley Management College to create the university's new Henley Business School, bringing together Henley College's expertise in MBAs with the University's existing Business School and ICMA Centre. The merger took formal effect on 1 August 2008, with the new business school split across the university's existing Whiteknights Campus and its new Greenlands Campus that formerly housed Henley Management College.

A restructuring of the university was announced in September 2009, which would bring together all the academic schools into three faculties, these being the Faculty of Science, the Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social sciences, and Henley Business School. The move was predicted to result in the loss of some jobs, especially in the film, theatre and television department, which will shortly be moving into a brand new £11.5 million building on Whiteknights Campus.

In late 2009 it was announced that the London Road Campus was to undergo a £30 million renovation, preparatory to becoming the new home of the university's Institute of Education. This is planned for completion in the summer of 2011, and is being partially funded by the sale of the adjoining site of Mansfield Hall, a former hall of residence, for demolition and replacement by private sector student accommodation.

The university is a lead sponsor of UTC Reading, a new university technical college which opened in September 2013.

In 2016 a move to reorganise the structure of Reading University provoked student protests. On 21 March 2016, staff announced a vote of no confidence in the Vice Chancellor Sir David Bell. 88% of those who voted backed the no confidence motion.

Campuses

The university maintains over 1.6 square kilometres (395 acres) of grounds, in four distinct campuses:

Whiteknights

Whiteknights Campus, at 1.3 square kilometres (321 acres), is the largest and includes Whiteknights Lake, conservation meadows and woodlands as well as most of the University's departments. The campus takes its name from the nickname of the 13th century knight, John De Erleigh IV or the 'White Knight', and was landscaped in the 18th century by the Marquis of Blandford. The main University library, in the middle of the campus, holds nearly a million books and subscribes to around 4,000 periodicals. It also has a lake, which is home to many Mandarin Ducks. The Whiteknights campus was voted one of the best green spaces in the United Kingdom for the fifth year running in the 2015 Green Flag People's Choice awards.

London Road

The smaller London Road Campus is the original university site and is closer to the town centre of Reading. The London Road site is home to The Institute of Education - one of the leading providers of teacher training in the UK. The Institute moved to its new home in January 2012. The campus was refurbished at a cost of £30 million, providing it with the best and most attractive facilities in the UK. The London Road site also plays host to the University graduation ceremonies twice a year, in the Great Hall.

Greenlands

The Greenlands Campus, on the banks of the River Thames in Buckinghamshire. Once the home of William Henry Smith, son of the founder of WH Smith, and latterly the site of the Henley Management College, this campus became part of the university on 1 August 2008, with the merger of that college with the university's Business School to form the Henley Business School. The school's MBA and corporate learning offerings will be based at Greenlands, with undergraduate and other postgraduate courses being based at Whiteknights.

Malaysia

An Asian campus at Iskandar, Malaysia was formally opened in February 2016. It offers a range of professional programmes at foundation, undergraduate and postgraduate levels including the Henley Business School MBA. First announced in October 2012, it is the university's first overseas campus. The project was overseen by Tony Downes.

Other sites

The former Bulmershe Court Campus in Woodley was the site of the former Bulmershe Teaching College, which merged with The University of Reading in 1989. The campus was sold in January 2014 as the University decided to concentrate its activity on its three other campuses. It had previously moved all teaching and research at Bulmershe either to Whiteknights or to London Road, and closed the student accommodation.

The university also owns 8.5 square kilometres (2,100 acres) of farmland in the nearby villages of Arborfield, Sonning and Shinfield. These support a mixed farming system including dairy cows, ewes and beef animals, and host research centres of which the flagship is the Centre for Dairy Research.

As part of the proposed Whiteknights Development Plan in Autumn 2007, the University proposed spending up to £250 million on its estates over 30 years, principally to focus academic activities onto the Whiteknights site. The University also announced its intention to site some functions on the London Road site, and proposed a complete withdrawal from Bulmershe Court by 2012, which was accomplished.

Museums, libraries and botanical gardens

Reading University maintains four museums, a main campus library, a range of inter-departmental libraries, and a botanical garden. The largest and best known of these museums is the Museum of English Rural Life, which has recently relocated from a location on Whiteknights Campus to a site nearer the town centre next to the London Road Campus. The Ure Museum of Greek Archaeology, the Cole Museum of Zoology, the University of Reading Herbarium and the Harris Garden are all on the Whiteknights Campus.

The University Library at Whiteknights makes available over 1 million physical resources, as well as a range of electronic online resources, from 14,000 square metres of space across seven floors. The secondary site library at the University's Bulmershe Campus closed in 2011 and its operative collections were transferred. There is also a library in the University's Meteorology department.

Henley Business School

Henley Business School is a highly selective, top-ranking business school, among only 58 institutions worldwide (less than 1% of business schools globally) to be granted Triple accreditation by the three largest and most influential business school accreditation associations: EQUIS, AMBA and the AACSB. It includes several academic areas:

Business Informatics, Systems and Accounting

Leadership and Organisational Behaviours

International Business and Strategy

ICMA Centre

Real Estate and Planning

Graduate School

The university-wide Graduate School is a Faculty providing training and a range of support for doctoral researchers and related staff across the other four Faculties.

Governing bodies and roles

The university is nominally led by a Chancellor, who is the titular head of the university, and is normally a well-known public figure. The day-to-day chief executive role is the responsibility of the Vice-Chancellor, a full-time academic post. The senior management board of the university is headed by the Vice-Chancellor, assisted by a Deputy-Vice-Chancellor, three Pro-Vice-Chancellors, four Deans and five Heads of Directorate. It is responsible for the day-to-day management of the University and meets fortnightly throughout most of the year.

The senior management board reports to the university's Senate, the main academic administrative body. The senate has around 100 members and meets at least four times a year and advises on areas such as student entry, assessment and awards. Membership includes Deans, Heads and elected representatives of Schools, as well as professional staff and students. The Senate in turn reports to the Council, which is the supreme governing body of the university, setting strategic direction, ensuring compliance with statutory requirements and approving constitutional changes. The Council meets four times a year, and comprises a broad representation of lay members drawn from commercial, community and professional organisations.

On 24 March 2016 it was announced that William Waldegrave was to be the new Chancellor of Reading University. Lord Waldegrave is the fourth Conservative politician to be appointed Chancellor of the University, following Austen Chamberlain, Sir Samuel Hoare and Lord Carrington. Waldegrave’s predecessor, Sir John Madejski is also a supporter of, and contributor to, the Conservative Party.

Rankings and reputation

The 2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF), coordinated by the HEFCE, placed the University 27th out of 154 institutions in the UK for Research Power, and 19th for Research Intensity. In total, 98% of the University's research is labelled as 'internationally recognised', 78% as 'internationally excellent and 27% as 'world leading'.

Departments in the University have been awarded the biannual Queen's Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education four times: in 1998, in the Humanities, Social Sciences and Law category, for work on Shakespeare; in 2005, in the Environment category; in 2008, again in Humanities, Social Sciences and Law; and in 2011, for "teaching and design applications in typography, through print and new technologies" in the Arts.

Reading was the first university to win a Queen's Award for Export Achievement, in 1989.

The School of Agriculture Policy and Development was ranked top in the UK and 11th in the world, according to the QS classification of universities by subject.

Finance

In recent years the university has been beset by controversy, with the closure of departments and job losses among staff. The university lost 7.7% of its HEFCE funding in fiscal year 2010–2011. In 2016 a move to reorganise the structure of Reading University provoked protests.

Affiliated institutions

The Gyosei International College in the U.K. was established on property acquired from the University of Reading in 1989. The college, later renamed Witan International College, was acquired by the University of Reading in 2004. Witan College closed in 2008.

Student life

Reading University Students' Union (RUSU) is the affiliated student organisation which represents the students' interests. The university also has a number of Junior Common Rooms that are linked to the Students' Union. The Students' Union has been the launch pad for many political careers including Penny Mordaunt (MP for Portsmouth North), who was the 1994–5 President of the Students' Union.

The Students' Union runs the student radio station Junction11 Radio, an online student radio station. It also publishes Spark*, a newspaper aimed at the student population of the University, which is published fortnightly during term-time only and award winning student television station RU:ON.

The union provides a free advice service to students, and facilitates over 160 different activities for students to get involved in. The Students' Union building on Whiteknights Campus contains an 2500 capacity venue called 3sixty, with seven bars, and a number of retail outlets.

Halls and accommodation

Student accommodation is provided in a number of halls of residence offering a mix of partially catered (19 meals per week) and self-catering accommodation, along with other self-catering accommodation. Following a major review the University is now proceeding with the integrated Halls and Catering Strategy, that will see several halls replaced as well as new ones created with social, catering & welfare facilities provided in hub areas. Most of the halls of residence lie close to the northern campus periphery and in residential areas close by.

Halls are managed in the following groups: Lakeside, comprising Bridges, Bulmershe and Wessex; Northcourt, comprising Sibly, Sherfield, Benyon and St Patrick's Hall; Park, comprising Childs, Greenow, McCombie, Mackinder, Stenton, Windsor and Dunsden Crescent; Redlands, comprising Hillside, Martindale, St. George's, St Andrew's (formerly), Wells and Wantage; and Estates Management, comprising 35 Upper Redlands Road, Mansfield and St. David's. Other privately managed halls include Kendrick Hall and Crown House (by Unite Students), Saxon Court Apartments (by Collegiate AC), Loddon House and Kings Road (by Fawley Bridge Student Accommodation) and Reading Central Studios (by Fresh Student Living). Wantage Hall is thought to be the oldest purpose built hall in England outside of 'Oxbridge' and is built in the style of an 'Oxbridge' college.

St. Andrews Hall closed in 2001, and is now the home of the Museum of English Rural Life.

St. George's Hall and the Reading Student Village (renamed Benyon) are leased back to the University from UPP. The cost of leasing back the Student Village to the University, according to the University accounts, was £1.3 million in 2002–03 and £1.5 million for 2003–04.

In 2011 the management of the mature and international halls, Hillside and Martindale, was taken over by the "Estates management team", as was Bulmershe Hall in 2012, the sale of which was finalised in 2014. In the same year the new Kendrick Halls were opened on the ground of halls which had not been in use for many years. These are not managed by the university.

In 2012, UPP and the University announced that they would be redeveloping Bridges Hall and Sibly Hall. Bridges Hall reopened for the 2014–15 academic year.

Working with business

Reading hosts a number of private sector businesses on its campuses, either occupying dedicated buildings or in managed space at the Science & Technology Centre or Enterprise Hub.

Science & Technology Centre

The University of Reading Science & Technology Centre is situated on the eastern side of Whiteknights Campus. The Science & Technology Centre supports and accommodates technology companies from start-up through to larger SMEs.

Notable companies currently or previously based at the Science & Technology Centre include Reading Scientific Services Ltd.

Reading Enterprise Hub

Reading Enterprise Hub is a business incubator opened in 2003. The hub was jointly sponsored by the university and SEEDA, and sought to attract startup high tech companies, particularly those with interests in environmental technology, information technology, life sciences, and materials science.

The hub was originally situated in World War II era temporary office buildings on the university's Whiteknights campus. During the summer of 2008 the hub was demolished, along with the neighbouring former agriculture buildings, and the remaining tenants relocated to a building on the London Road campus. As of April 2010, a new Reading Enterprise Centre is being constructed on the hub's original site.

Dedicated buildings

Besides its use of the Science & Technology Centre, Reading Scientific Services also occupies the Reading Science Centre, situated on the eastern side of Whiteknights campus.

Officers

Principals of University College, Reading

Sir Halford John Mackinder (1892–1903)

William Macbride Childs (1903–1926)

Chancellors of the University of Reading

J. H. Benyon (1926–1935)

Sir Austen Chamberlain (1935–1937)

Sir Samuel Hoare (1937–1959)

Lord Bridges (1959–1969)

Sir Roger Makins (1970–1992)

Lord Carrington (1992–2007)

Sir John Madejski (2007–2016)

William Waldegrave (2016–)

Vice-Chancellors of the University of Reading

William Macbride Childs (1926–1929)

Sir Franklin Sibly (1929–1946)

Sir Frank Stenton (1946–1950)

Sir John Wolfenden (1950–1963)

Sir Harry Raymond Pitt (1964–1978)

Ewan Page (1979–1993)

Sir Roger Williams (1993–2002)

Gordon Marshall (2003 – July 2011)

Tony Downes (acting; July 2011 – January 2012)

Sir David Bell (January 2012–)

Notable academics

Stanislav Andreski – was a professor of Sociology at the University of Reading

Malcolm Barber – Emeritus Professor of History, University of Reading

Dianne Berry – Professor of Psychology and Dean of Postgraduate Research Studies at the University of Reading

Humphry Bowen – Reader in Analytical Chemistry at the University of Reading

William de Burgh – Professor of Philosophy, University of Reading

Mark Casson – Professor of Economics, University of Reading

Francis Cole - Professor of Zoology, University of Reading

Howard Colquhoun – Professor of Materials Chemistry, University of Reading

John Cottingham – Emeritus Professor of Philosophy, University of Reading

Neil Crosby – Professor of Real Estate, University of Reading

Jonathan Dancy – Professor of Philosophy, University of Reading

Michael Drew – Professor of Chemistry, University of Reading

Antony Flew – Emeritus Professor of Philosophy, University of Reading

Sir Terry Frost – was Professor of Fine Art, University of Reading

Michael Fulford – Professor of Archaeology and Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the University of Reading

Colin S. Gray – Professor of International Relations and Strategic Studies, University of Reading

Edward Guggenheim – was a thermodynamicist and professor of chemistry at the University of Reading

Andrew Gurr – was a professor of English at the University of Reading until his retirement and is a leading authority on Shakespeare

Beatrice Heuser – Professor of International Relations, University of Reading

Gustav Holst – was a professor of Music at University College, Reading

Harold Hopkins – was a professor of Applied Physical Optics at the University of Reading

Sir Brian Hoskins – Professor of Climatology, University of Reading and Director of the Grantham Institute for Climate Change, Imperial College London

Michael Lockwood - Professor of Space Environment Physics, University of Reading

William Burley Lockwood – Professor of Germanic and Indo-European Philology 1968–1982

J-P Mayer - Professor Emeritus, editor of the works of Alexis de Tocqueville and founder of the Tocqueville Research Centre at the University

Roger W. Mills – Emeritus Professor of Finance, University of Reading

Edith Morley - Professor of English, University College, Reading: the first woman appointed (1908) to a chair at a British university-level institution.

Crispin St. J. A. Nash-Williams – was a professor of Mathematics at the University of Reading

Frank R. Palmer - Emeritus Professor of the Linguistic Science, University of Reading

Richard Rado – was a professor of Mathematics at the University of Reading

Peter Robinson – poet, poetry editor at Two Rivers Press, and Professor of English and American literature at the University of Reading

Hugh Macdonald Sinclair – pioneer of human nutrition and visiting professor in Food Science at the University of Reading

Keith Shine – Professor of Climatology, University of Reading

Sir Frank Stenton – was a professor of History at the University of Reading

Galen Strawson – Professor of Philosophy, University of Reading

Percy and Annie Ure – husband and wife team. Percy was the first professor of classics at Reading and Annie was the curator of the Ure Museum of Greek Archaeology

Andrew Wallace-Hadrill – Director of the British School at Rome and professor of Classics, University of Reading

Kevin Warwick – Professor of Cybernetics, University of Reading

Notable alumni

Academics

Ash Amin – Professor of Geography, University of Cambridge

Janet Beer – Vice-Chancellor of the University of Liverpool (formerly Vice-Chancellor of Oxford Brookes University)

L. J. F. Brimble – botanist and editor of Nature magazine

Sir Clifford Charles Butler – co-discoverer of hyperons and mesons, Professor of Physics at Imperial College London, Vice-chancellor of Loughborough University

Stephen E. Calvert – Emeritus Professor of Geology, University of British Columbia

David Carpanini – Emeritus Professor of Art, University of Wolverhampton

Michael Cox – Professor of International Relations, London School of Economics

Sir Peter Crane – Professor of Botany, Yale University

Beate Hermelin (1920–2008) – German-born experimental psychologist, who worked in the UK

Sean Holly – Professor of Economics, University of Cambridge

Jolyon Howorth – Professor of European politics, University of Bath and Visiting Professor of Political Science at Yale University

Michael Leifer – was a professor of International Relations, London School of Economics

David Marks – Professor of Psychology, City University London

Dragan Marušič – Professor of Mathematics at the University of Ljubljana

Avi Shlaim – Professor of International Relations, University of Oxford

June Thoburn – Emeritus Professor of Social Work at the University of East Anglia

Ethelwynn Trewavas – ichthyologist and taxonomist

John Turner – Professor of Engineering and Pro-Vice Chancellor of the University of Portsmouth

A. E. Wilder-Smith – creationist and chemist

Broadcasting

Julian Barratt – comedian, BBC's The Mighty Boosh

Keith Bosley – former BBC broadcaster and prizewinning poet and translator

Richard Holmes – military historian and television presenter

Kaddy Lee-Preston – TV weather presenter

Julian Richards – archaeologist and broadcaster

Richard Sambrook – Director of the BBC World Service

Tomasz Schafernaker – TV weather presenter

Nick Thorpe – BBC Central Europe correspondent (1996–); formerly BBC Budapest correspondent

Laura Tobin – TV weather presenter

Jay Wynne – TV weather presenter

Business

David Atkins – Chief Executive, Hammerson plc

Nick Candy – Co-Founder and partner of high end property development company, Candy & Candy, London

Gavin Grant – Chief Executive of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals

Nicky Kinnaird – founder and president of British cosmetic retailer Space NK

Robert Noel – businessman, Chief Executive of Land Securities Group plc

Military

Lieutenant-Colonel Rupert Thorneloe, Welsh Guards officer killed in action in Afghanistan

Music

Arthur Brown – rock and roll singer

Alan Clayson – singer, composer, record producer, leader of the band Clayson and the Argonauts

Jamie Cullum – jazz pianist and singer

Falz - Nigerian Musician and actor

Liam Howe – music producer, musician, formed the band Sneaker pimps with David Westlake and Joe Wilson (musician) also alumni

Hilary James – singer, double bassist, guitarist, and mando-bassist

Andy MacKay – member of the band Roxy Music

Simon Mayor – mandolinist, fiddle player, guitarist, and composer

Martin Noble – musician, Noble in the band British Sea Power

Edmund Rubbra – composer

Julian Wagstaff – composer

Scott Wilkinson – musician and composer, Yan in the band British Sea Power

Politics

Anton Apriantono – food technology scientist, serving as Indonesia's Minister of Agriculture since 2004

Dimeji Bankole – Nigerian politician and Speaker of the House of Representatives of Nigeria

Fred Gardiner – Canadian politician who took an officer's course at Reading during World War I

Edison James – Prime Minister of Dominica 1995–2000, Leader of the Opposition, 1990–1995 and 2000–2007

Shukuru Kawambwa – Tanzanian Minister of Education and Vocational Training

Jan Kavan – Czech diplomat and politician

Penny Mordaunt – Conservative Member of Parliament for Portsmouth North

Mike Penning – Conservative Member of Parliament for the Hemel Hempstead parliamentary constituency

Frauke Petry – Leader of Alternative for Germany (AFD)

Hugh Robertson – Conservative Member of Parliament for Faversham and Mid Kent

Ibrahim Taguri - British community worker and political candidate

Rob Wilson – Conservative Member of Parliament for the Reading East parliamentary constituency

Sport

David Bedford (athlete) – runner

Cath Bishop – rower, silver medallist in the coxless pairs at the 2004 Olympics

James Cracknell – rower, gold medallist in the coxless fours at the 2000 Olympics and 2004 Olympics

Debbie Flood – rower, silver medallist in the quadruple sculls at the 2004 Olympics

Alex Gregory - rower, gold medallist in the coxless fours at the 2012 Olympics

Gary Herbert – rower, gold medallist in the coxed pairs at the 1992 Olympics

Molly Hide – cricketer, captained the English women's team for seventeen years

Will Hoy – racing driver, British Touring Car Champion in 1991

Bill Lucas - rower

Anna Watkins – rower, gold medallist in the double sculls at the 2012 Olympics

Writing and art

Steven Atkinson – theatre director, and artistic director of HighTide Festival Theatre

Anne Bean – installation and performance artist

Vincent Connare – creator of Comic Sans

Jeff Evans – beer writer

Robert Gillmor – ornithologist, artist, illustrator, author and editor

Kathleen Hale – artist and children's author, the Orlando the Marmalade Cat series

Alan Morrison - poet

Mike Nelson – installation artist

Wilfred Owen – war poet

Joan Smith – novelist and journalist

David Watkins – designer of the London 2012 Olympics medals

Richard Wilson – installation artist

Others

Eve Balfour – farmer, educator, organic farming pioneer, and a founding figure in the organic movement

Robin Bextor – film and television director, father of Sophie Ellis-Bextor

Azahari Husin – leading member of the Jemaah Islamiyah group, believed to have been involved in the 2005 Bali bombing

Clive Ponting – civil servant who faced trial for the leaking of information on the sinking of the Belgrano, during the Falklands War

John Tabatabai – professional poker player

Wei Tang – actress, Ang Lee's Lust, Caution

Rachel Treweek – Bishop of Gloucester; the first female diocesan bishop in the Church of England, and the first female Lord Spiritual

Carl Wright - civil servant former director of the Commonwealth Trade Union Group and Secretary-General of the Commonwealth Local Government Forum